George P. Cronk

George Parkman Cronk (January 19, 1904 – June 15, 1996), who went by George P. Cronk, was an insurance man who was on the Los Angeles City Council from 1945 to 1952.

Cronk

Biography

Cronk was born January 19, 1904, in Omaha, Nebraska, and was brought to Los Angeles in 1910. He was graduated from the University of Southern California. He and his wife had two daughters, Constance (later Mrs. John Lamer) and Sally (later Mrs. Stanley Lewis Walsh). They lived at 899 Victoria Avenue.[1][2][3][4][5]

He began his Los Angeles insurance business in 1924. During World War II he was an instructor at North American Aviation. He was a member of the Kiwanis Club, Trojan Club, Sons of the American Revolution, the Los Angeles Athletic Club, Lakeside Country Club and the Masons.[2] After his City Council service ended in 1953, he was county campaign director for the American Cancer Society and later the finance director for Southern California for the California Taxpayers Association.[6]

He died June 15, 1996.[7]

Public service

Manhattan Beach

Cronk was a member of the Manhattan Beach, California, board of education from 1939 to 1942.[2]

Los Angeles

During World War II Cronk was vice chairman of the War Chest in the Wilshire District and the United Service Organizations, also in the Wilshire District.[2]

Elections

See also List of Los Angeles municipal election returns, 1945–51

Cronk was elected to the Los Angeles City Council District 5 seat in 1945, succeeding Ira J. McDonald, who had quit the post to run unsuccessfully for mayor. Cronk was endorsed by the conservative American Federation of Labor in that race, whereas the rival and more liberal Congress of Industrial Organizations went for Robert J. Kennedy.[8] Cronk was reelected in the primary votes of 1945 through 1951 but did not run in 1953. Instead, he took on the job of campaign manager for Norris Poulson,[9] who was successful in ousting Mayor Fletcher Bowron that year.

The 5th District was "part of the general Wilshire area" in 1949.[10]

Positions

Cronk was known as a conservative[9] who took these positions while on the City Council:

Airplanes, 1946. The council unanimously adopted a resolution he offered asking "all authorities" to curb "exuberant young flyers" who had been piloting their airplanes too low over residential areas.[11]

Loyalty, 1949. Cronk initiated a loyalty-oath requirement for city employees, "which brought down the wrath of all Communist front organizations upon him."[10]

Rents, 1950. He introduced a resolution adopted by the council that called on the federal government to end wartime rent control in Los Angeles, but when the government refused to do so, he said that refusal was an indication of "how far this great nation has drifted down the road to Socialism" and that "all Americans should be gravely concerned."[12]

Housing, 1951–53. It was Cronk, "an enemy of public housing since its inception,"[13] who introduced a controversial motion that eventually ended a $110 million public-housing program in the city.[14] In a council meeting the next year he angrily castigated Leo A. Vie, a city housing commissioner, who was reported to have said that opponents of the program were "scum." He said that Vie should be "asked to resign." Other council members supported the commissioner's right of free speech.[15] The council sent Cronk to Sacramento to lobby the State Assembly in support of bills that would "limit autocratic powers of public housing authorities."[16]

References

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1. Location of the Cronk home
2. Los Angeles Public Library reference file
3. "City Council Election Vital," Los Angeles Times, April 1, 1945, page 2
4. "Sally Cronk Exchanges Bridal Vows," Los Angeles Times, July 19, 1945, page 5
5. "Miracle Milers Name Cronk Father of Year," Los Angeles Times, June 13, 1953, page 6
6. "Cronk to Head Taxpayer Unit," Los Angeles Times, August 13, 1958, page A-8
7. Social Security Death Index
8. "C.I.O and A.F.L. Still Divided on City Candidates" Los Angeles Times April 24, 1945, page 3
9. Carlton E. Williams, "Cronk to Direct Poulson Committee", Los Angeles Times, February 5, 1953, page 2
10. "Election of These Council Candidates Recommended by Times", Los Angeles Times, April 3, 1949, page 3
11. "Los Angeles Briefs", Los Angeles Times, May 2, 1946, page A-8
12. "Davenport Urges Inquiry Into Decontrol Blocking," Los Angeles Times, September 2, 1950, page 2
13. "New Mayor Held Necessary to Kill Housing Program," Los Angeles Times, February 6, 1953, page A-1
14. "Housing Program's End Moves Nearer," Los Angeles Times, December 20, 1951, page 1
15. "Housing Official Called on Carpet for Asserted Slur on Council Foes," Los Angeles Times, March 26, 1952, page 2
16. "Council Backs Curb on Public Housing Men," Los Angeles Times, March 20, 1953, page 11

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